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Innovators bring education into 21st century

Wed., April 27, 2016

If we could start public schools from scratch, what would they look like?

Would school start later, especially for high school students, to match the science on sleep and adolescence? Probably, but the built-in impediments of after-school activities, bus schedules and parents’ work schedules loom large. Would schools offer more technology-oriented courses to match the current economy? Probably, but who would teach them?

Would schools be bound by the physical walls that take millions of dollars to construct? Probably not. But currently they influence how many students can attend and how many teachers to hire.

Education leaders are grappling with all of these issues as they try to bust a model created for a different time and a different economy. So it is encouraging to see innovative efforts such as XQ: The Super School Project, an attempt to find solutions. Spokane Public Schools’ On Track Academy, an innovation in its own right, is a semifinalist for the $10 million prize. It is working on a “school without walls,” an effort to place students with community mentors for intensive applied learning.

On Track made the final 50 in a field of 700 applicants. We applaud the efforts of students and teachers, along with innovators throughout education.